The Quest for Finding “My Recipe” for Basque Cheesecake
Basque Cheesecake, the pudding that broke internet – according to the Times, and what I’ve learned with time, for all the right reasons.
I took a careful and measured approach to this cheesecake which very quickly became ubiquitous enough to be called “A thing”. A term I prefer to refrain from. But after it has stopped being “A thing”, it’s still an incredibly good cheesecake and has remained a favourite cheesecake of many.
The makings of this particular cheesecake are unbelievably stress-free, the mix is simple and baking it on a high temperature gives you a dreamy browned crust that plays beautifully with the soft centre.
There is no pastry or crumb crust to support it, no raisins, no berries or icing. It’s just silky rich mousse with a desirably blackened top, of which smoky bitterness provides the only contrast that I need, and each morsel makes me want more and more of it.
It’s deliciously satisfying to the point that every spoonful feels like cutting through a cloud.
Golden dark or even slightly burnt on top and with a little jiggle in the middle, served slightly chilled is a dream to savour, especially right now when Spring in London feels like Summer.
I’ve been on the quest to find a recipe (for this cheesecake) that would make my taste buds dance. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here, for me it’s been more about playing with the ingredients and the texture that suit my palate. And each of us, inevitably, develops our taste over time. Granted.
The main hero of Basque Cheesecake is, of course, the cream cheese. Philadelphia (used by many and by Santiago Riviera himself – the creator of this famous cake) works very well, but there is no need to limit ourselves and why not to explore what other brands have on offer. Something to look out for and simultaneously bare in mind are the variations in the level of saltiness and sourness, hence you may have to adjust the flavour of the batter by an extra pinch of salt, for example.
I also find that the lemon juice is essential. It just lifts the whole dish and adds a little “zing”.
The freshness of the citrus is particularly enjoyable against the richness of the dairy. During my research I only followed the recipes that combine both: double and sour cream, which make the cake deliciously rich bringing some acidity at the same time.
Some recipes ask for extra egg yolks apart from whole eggs; I keep it simple however, just whole eggs for me.
You could potentially use as much or as little sugar as you like, to lean towards the savoury or to please a real sweet tooth. As with the salt, it all comes down to personal taste.
Sometimes vanilla beans or vanilla extract is added, lemon or orange zest, even chocolate or blue cheese. It’s all up to you. If you want a vanilla flavoured cheesecake – add vanilla, if you like pistachios – add a pistachio paste, and so forth.
Personally, I only raise my hand for lemon juice and a good measure of salt, for a well rounded balance. Given the strong flavour of the caramelised top, any extra ingredients might well be gilding the lily.
Strictly speaking, you don’t have to add any flour and just leave it out of the equation.
Some fear it may make the texture too grainy. But then, some find that the cheesecake is quite “weepy” on the following day and having some flour helps to hold the liquid a lot better. From my own testing experience, I choose potato or corn starch over plain flour. You should definitely consider adding a stabiliser if you don’t have enough time for the cake to set properly and you are thinking of serving it in less than five hours after you’ve taken it out the oven. A little suggestion that may help with planning ahead.
My research also suggests that it’s better to add the batter ingredients gradually rather than mixing everything at once and baking. You might risk overmixing and it’s the rich silkiness we are aiming for rather than light and fluffy. I take it on face value and simply follow along. It seems that slow and steady is the best rule with this cake.
It’s a caramelised cheesecake, baked high and fast, that can be eaten lukewarm or served the next day straight from the fridge, but for even greater enjoyment leave it out for 5-8 minutes before having the first bite. That way you can taste the full flavour of the cheesecake, which you might otherwise miss if it’s too cold. I honestly think it gets better day by day.
If you don’t own a food thermometer, perhaps now is a good time to invest in one (see the recipe).
It’s preferable to err on the side of under – rather than over – baking. A sloppy creamy slice is much more pleasing to eat than overcooked curds (trust me on this one).
A thermometer is a good help, but overall, Basque Cheesecake is something almost impossible to mess up and unbelievably easy to make.
This is a very adaptable dessert, so serve it with whatever takes your fancy. But I like it just as it is, hmmm, maybe with sticky lemons on the side – it’s what talented Nicola Lamb suggests in her “Swift” baking book, and I followed her baking skills (making marginal tweaks), all of which you can find in the recipe below.
Recipe
Basque Cheesecake
- 600 g of full-fat cream cheese
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 130 g of double cream
- 130 g of sour cream
- 50 g of lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 15 – 20 g of potato or corn starch
- 6 -7 g of flaky sea salt
Sticky Lemons (optional)
- 2 lemons, sliced (2-3mm thick)
- 100 g of soft light brown sugar
- 100 g of boiling water
Preheat the oven to 240 C / 220 C Fan.
Grease with butter and line the inside of a high-sided 20 cm springform cake tin entirely with baking parchment, making sure you bring up the sides.
Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
For the batter use a standing mixer with the paddle attachment.
Mix the cream cheese with the sugar until the sugar dissolves fully (taste it or check with your fingers). It should feel totally smooth.
Now add the eggs, one by one, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure they are well combined.
Next add the sour cream, double cream and the lemon juice.
Sift the flour into a small bowl and add the salt. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the cheesecake batter. This step helps to avoid any lumps or pockets of flour in the cake. It has to be smooth before adding back into the cheesecake batter.
Mix the two batters together, scraping again the sides to make sure it’s evenly combined.
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared tin and tap against your kitchen counter to level the mixture.
For the sticky lemons:
Put the lemon slices into a shallow baking dish, sprinkle the sugar over the top, followed by the boiling water. Wrap with aluminium foil.
Put the cheesecake and the lemons into the oven at the same time.
Bake for 25-35 minutes (it took me 30 minutes in the static oven, 240C) until the top of the cheesecake is well browned and the internal temperature oscillates around 60-62 C – now is the time to use the food thermometer.
Take the cake out of the oven and leave to cool completely before putting it into the fridge.
Whilst you are doing that, take the aluminium foil off the baking dish in which you’ve baked the lemons. Keep the lemons baking in the oven for a further 5 – 6 minutes, allowing them to brown slightly. Leave to cool and store in the fridge. Reheat gently before serving (adding a little bit of boiling water to create a sauce) and serve alongside the individual slices of the cake.
The cheesecake lasts well in the fridge for 3-5 days (it actually improves with time). I find it’s best still slightly chilled, taking it out the fridge 5-8 minutes before serving.